By: Isaac Ray - Director of Athletics Communications
RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's head football coach, Walt Wells, welcomed nine new players to Colonel Nation on December's National Signing Day.
The nine-player class features five Kentucky natives and three recruits rated by 247 Sports. The class includes one quarterback, one running back, two offensive linemen, one wide receiver, two linebackers, one defensive back, and one long snapper.
At quarterback, the Colonels welcome Cole Carpenter (Frederick Douglass), who led the Broncos to an undefeated season and the 5A KHSAA State Championship in 2022.
During that season, the Lexington native threw for 23 touchdowns, including three in the title game, accumulating 1,863 yards with only five interceptions. Cole is the son of EKU men's basketball alum Jared Carpenter.
In the backfield, EKU brings in Richmond native Brady Hensley (Lexington Christian), who earned first-team All-State honors from the Courier Journal. Hensley rushed for 2,408 yards on 235 attempts with 47 total touchdowns during the 2023 season.
Brady follows in the footstep of his father David Hensley who was a football player at EKU and led the Colonels in scoring as a running back in 1984.
Out wide, Kyle Vaka (Kell) joins EKU's wide receiver corps from Marietta, Ga. Vaka totaled 1,710 all-purpose yards at the 5A level in Georgia, leading the classification in yards per reception with 23.44. He also added 11 touchdown receptions.
Up front, Joe Schlarman (Lexington Catholic) and Jaylen Eberhardt (Princeton) come to Richmond as promising offensive line talents.
In his senior season, Schlarman helped pave the way for 4,610 yards of total offense, starting all 14 games in 2023 and assisting his team to a state title game appearance. Schlarman is the son of the late Kentucky All-American and assistant coach John Schlarman.
Eberhardt comes to the Colonels from Cincinnati, Ohio, after being named to the Division I All-Ohio First Team. As a two-star prospect, according to 247 Sports, he anchored an offensive line that produced 3,342 yards of total offense and 386 points in his senior season.
On defense, the Colonels add two linebackers from the Bluegrass state in Kaden Smith (Taylor County) and Jack Chappel (North Laurel).
Smith, a two-star prospect according to 247 Sports, recorded 103 total tackles with 13.5 sacks in 2023. The Campbellsville, Ky. product also led his team with 31 tackles for loss last season while forcing three fumbles and snagging one interception, which he returned 50 yards for a touchdown.
Joining Smith as an outside linebacker, Jack Chappell comes to Richmond after a final season at North Laurel that saw him record 85 total tackles and six tackles for loss. The strong season earned him first-team all-district honors, while the two-way athlete added six receiving touchdowns on offense.
In the secondary, Chris Lee (Venice) makes his way to the Bluegrass state from Venice, Fla., as a three-star recruit according to On3 and 247 Sports. The Floridian recorded 159 total tackles, including 4.5 sacks, with seven pass break-ups and three forced fumbles in his final high school season.
In the specialist category, EKU adds a familiar name in long snapper Quaid Luginbill, the son of former Colonel quarterback and current ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill.
Coming from Matthews, N.C., Luginbill also played defensive end and tight end in high school, helping Weddington claim an NCHSAA 4A state title last season.
Official EKU Football Signing Class
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